[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":177},["ShallowReactive",2],{"activist-section-viola-robinson-creating-change-lessons-and-advice":3,"activist-viola-robinson":86},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"description":12,"extension":78,"meta":79,"navigation":80,"oldPath":81,"path":82,"seo":83,"stem":84,"__hash__":85},"activistSections\u002Factivists\u002Fviola-robinson\u002F03.creating-change-lessons-and-advice.md","Creating Change: Lessons and Advice",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":71},"minimark",[9,13,18,49,53,61,65],[10,11,12],"p",{},"Inclusion and fairness are the fundamental values that guide Viola's thinking, never more so than in difficult economic times.",[14,15,17],"h2",{"id":16},"lessons-and-advice","Lessons and advice",[19,20,21,25,28,31,34,37,40,43,46],"ul",{},[22,23,24],"li",{},"Politics are directed by public pressure, so don't complain, do something!",[22,26,27],{},"Listen a lot, and listen critically, to how others are thinking about the issue.",[22,29,30],{},"Explain the issue and your goals for change in ways that help people understand how it's important to them.",[22,32,33],{},"Be fully prepared for any meetings.",[22,35,36],{},"Speak for the record; get your opinions noted in the meeting minutes.",[22,38,39],{},"Organize public support for your issue: \"You can have the best speaker, the best lawyer, or the best professional writing of the best speeches, but if you're standing there by yourself and you've got nobody behind you, it doesn't mean much.\"",[22,41,42],{},"Establish the issue precisely: is it discrimination? Racism? Inequality? Violence? Is it substance abuse? No matter what it might be, if you have no prior experience or knowledge, research the issue to find out what happened, how it happened, who is behind it, who is responsible for changing it, and key players involved.",[22,44,45],{},"For delivering messages about an issue or its solution, choose a messenger who has some clout, and choose sensitively because you can create animosity by selecting someone who is either not well-versed, or not a well-liked person.",[22,47,48],{},"When negotiating with government officials, try to get information from them that would give you the advantage—and get it without them necessarily knowing what you're doing.",[14,50,52],{"id":51},"regarding-negotiating","Regarding negotiating",[19,54,55,58],{},[22,56,57],{},"Be well briefed, but avoid taking an adversarial position. \"You need to feel people out and try to get all you can get from the other side, see where they're coming from, and where they're going. Try to dig deeply into their minds—that's what it's all about. Being adversarial doesn't produce that knowledge because you burn out, you throw all your cards on the table and you're seen as challenging others which is not a good thing to do in negotiation. I do a lot of listening.\"",[22,59,60],{},"There are times, however, when being adversarial is necessary, but be cautious about the timing. There is a time when you have to speak up and say, \"Look, enough is enough. Let's call a spade a spade here. You said this and you said that, and that's not the way it is\". It is a tactic good for certain times and certain places.",[14,62,64],{"id":63},"qualities-of-a-social-advocate","Qualities of a social advocate",[66,67,68],"blockquote",{},[10,69,70],{},"A social advocate needs to be a very articulate person. They should be not afraid of public speaking. They should be a person who really does their research before taking something on. They know what they're doing and they make sure they have a good support group behind them. Nothing is any worse than standing out there and looking behind you and you've got nobody to support you!",{"title":72,"searchDepth":73,"depth":73,"links":74},"",2,[75,76,77],{"id":16,"depth":73,"text":17},{"id":51,"depth":73,"text":52},{"id":63,"depth":73,"text":64},"md",{},true,"\u002Fviola-robinson\u002Fcreating-change-lessons-and-advice","\u002Factivists\u002Fviola-robinson\u002Fcreating-change-lessons-and-advice",{"title":5,"description":12},"activists\u002Fviola-robinson\u002F03.creating-change-lessons-and-advice","_Vn7jAvCh4JNKu_RDFM96RuC6VCjhXFo2HqRmkuC_QA",{"id":87,"title":88,"body":89,"description":93,"extension":78,"links":143,"meta":153,"navigation":80,"oldPath":154,"path":155,"pictures":156,"portrait":157,"portraitAlt":158,"province":159,"quote":160,"sections":161,"seo":173,"stem":174,"summary":175,"__hash__":176},"activists\u002Factivists\u002Fviola-robinson\u002Findex.md","Viola Robinson",{"type":7,"value":90,"toc":141},[91,94,129,138],[10,92,93],{},"Gracious, fluent, and crisp, Viola Robinson came well prepared for her interview with Liz Burge in Truro, Nova Scotia. The ambience of the surroundings receded as Viola's passionate narrative took Liz into the world of Aboriginal social justice, triggering layers of poignant reminders of the maltreatment of aboriginal peoples in Australia, Liz's home country.",[10,95,96,97,104,105,110,111,116,117,122,123,128],{},"Viola Robinson is a long-time advocate for Mi'kmaq people and the advancement of Aboriginal and treaty rights in Nova Scotia and Canada. She has served on countless boards and committees of organizations, and helped establish numerous projects, that promote the causes of Aboriginal people. These include the ",[98,99,103],"a",{"href":100,"rel":101},"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.cmmns.com\u002FLegal.php",[102],"nofollow","Mi'kmaq Legal Support Network",", the ",[98,106,109],{"href":107,"rel":108},"http:\u002F\u002Fncns.ca\u002Fprograms-services\u002Frural-and-native-housing-group\u002F",[102],"Rural Native Housing Program",", and with the Union of Nova Scotia Indians, the Court Worker Certificate Program at Unama'ki College of Cape Breton University. Viola played a major part in setting up the ",[98,112,115],{"href":113,"rel":114},"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.gov.ns.ca\u002Fabor\u002Foffice\u002Fwhat-we-do\u002Fnegotiations\u002F",[102],"Made-In-Nova Scotia Process"," designed to address Mi'kmaq social, legal, and political issues between the federal and provincial governments. In 1985, she was a founding president of the ",[98,118,121],{"href":119,"rel":120},"http:\u002F\u002Fncns.ca\u002F",[102],"Native Council of Nova Scotia"," and served as president until 1990, when she was elected as president of the ",[98,124,127],{"href":125,"rel":126},"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.abo-peoples.org\u002F",[102],"Native Council of Canada",".",[10,130,131,132,137],{},"An undisputed highlight of over three decades of related work was Viola's appointment as one of seven commissioners to the ",[98,133,136],{"href":134,"rel":135},"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.ainc-inac.gc.ca\u002Fap\u002Fpubs\u002Frpt\u002Frpt-eng.asp",[102],"Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples"," between 1990 and 1995.",[10,139,140],{},"In addition to her honorary Doctor of Law degree (LL.D.) from Dalhousie University in 1990, Viola's awards include The Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of Confederation, 1992; the Halifax YWCA Women's Recognition award in 1997; the Frances Fish Women Lawyers' Achievement Award in 2003; the Order of Nova Scotia in 2009; and Officer of the Order of Canada in 2011.",{"title":72,"searchDepth":73,"depth":73,"links":142},[],[144,147,150],{"url":145,"title":146},"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.novascotialife.com\u002Ffeaturednovascotian\u002Fviola-robinson","Additional career information for Viola Robinson",{"url":148,"title":149},"http:\u002F\u002Fwww2.parl.gc.ca\u002Fcontent\u002Flop\u002Fresearchpublications\u002Fprb9924-e.htm","Full report, Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples",{"url":151,"title":152},"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.gov.ns.ca\u002Fnews\u002Fdetails.asp?id=20061019004","\"Viola Robinson, A Leader Inspired by Women,\" a feature in honour of Women's Hi…",{},"\u002Fcontent\u002Fviola-robinson","\u002Factivists\u002Fviola-robinson",[],"\u002Fimages\u002Factivists\u002Fviola-robinson\u002Fportrait.jpg","Portrait of Viola Robinson.","Nova Scotia","I was always concerned about fairness and equality and to this day I still am a community-driven person. I like to see things done that are not only going to be advantageous for my people, but for everybody else.",[162,165,168,170],{"slug":163,"label":164},"forming-her-activism","Forming Her Activism",{"slug":166,"label":167},"practicing-social-activism","Practicing Social Activism",{"slug":169,"label":5},"creating-change-lessons-and-advice",{"slug":171,"label":172},"last-words","Last Words",{"title":88,"description":93},"activists\u002Fviola-robinson\u002Findex","Gracious, fluent, and crisp, Viola Robinson came well prepared for her interview with Liz Burge in Truro, Nova Scotia.","PYpeZb0SidrivFtbwpK6k6l2euidMQsZrjZWavZxEUk",1789062652343]